A game of cards
by QQQ p
Summary: Short humourous story written for the Dream Realm message board thingy (just a bit of fun). Tiny story compared to most things I write.


A game of cards  
  
The setting? The soft museum at dark outside a tree house. Inside the dull glow of candles echoed out onto the mossy floor below, Nightopians hovered around their little wings flapping in amusement like cherubs. Tall trees reached up high for as far as you could see. A table was out on the grass made of something that looked like oak. But in the dream world things are different, Oak isn't always Oak. It can be other things. The dream world of Nightopia is unpredictable like a moving cloud or a wave on the sea; one thing seems to be quite normal when suddenly it changes into a Nightmare.  
  
Jackal sat looking across the table at the blue haired boy Elliot. He looked back with suspicion. He placed a card down carefully and grinned "One two" he said with a daring look.  
  
"Cheat" replied Jackal leaning back on the chair with a small and subtle shrug. The boy's eyebrows raised and he collapsed backwards his head hitting the moss "How does he do that?" he whispered softly.  
  
"Here are you cards," said Jackal with one hand outstretched he dropped several packs onto the fallen boy and grinned leaning back. He yawned slowly as Elliot got to his feet dusting himself off.  
  
"This isn't fare," complained Elliot "You always win, ten queens. hang on why are their ten queens here?"  
  
"There are? How strange" said Jackal softly "Are you sure you didn't miscount?"  
  
"There shouldn't be more than four of any kind of card," grumbled Elliot "You cheated"  
  
"The game's called Cheat isn't it?" asked Jackal slyly "I presume that means I can cheat in anyway I want to, so without you noticing I slipped in an extra couple of cards"  
  
"Ten Queens then" grumbled Elliot putting the cards face down"  
  
"Eleven Kings" replied Jackal sending the glowing cards hovering into position.  
  
A Nightopian squeaked and Elliot looked up surprised, he turned back to Jackal in suspicion and saw that the pile had risen considerably "Where do you keep your cards anyway?"  
  
"Up my sleeve" yawned Jackal "Oh, there's one by your foot by the way"  
  
Elliot groaned and bending down picked it up and added it to the huge pile in his hand, he looked across the pack and picked several out from different places. He put them down slowly "Four Aces"  
  
"Four Aces" replied Jackal throwing another four cards down.  
  
"Four Aces" replied Elliot  
  
"Four Aces"  
  
"Four Aces"  
  
"Cheat," yawned Jackal pushing the pile into Elliot's face with the sole of his foot. The pile fell off the table and Jackal rested his feet on the table with a relaxing smile as if he enjoyed nothing more than to beat young children at games of cards. Elliot grumbled and picked them up slowly, holding onto one he found it had turned into a small plant sticking out of the ground.  
  
"How many cards do you have left anyway?" he said with a wheeze, putting cards onto the table either side of Jackal's feet. The picture of the King showed Wizeman with weapons in each hand. Other cards showed the various Nightmares of Nightopia in all their evil glory. Some had sharp teeth; some had many arms eyes or bodily parts. Some were from the deepest darkest depths of the subconscious, the darkness from the Abyss, the feeling a friend gives you when you are let down, embarrassment in all its glory and Wizeman ruled over them all, the King of Terror.  
  
"Oh I finished ages ago," said Jackal Idly "I was just filling time until we started the next game"  
  
Elliot frowned picking up the last of his cards he looked up to find a five- pillar card house on the table surrounded by Stonehenge made out of cards "Your too good with those" he grumbled "So what are we starting a new game?"  
  
"If you want," yawned Jackal.  
  
"Do you want all these cards back?" asked Elliot holding the pile up to the light of the candles. The orange glow flickered on his face.  
  
Jackal waved his hand and they flickered out in a bright ember of flame "No, cards grow on trees round here" (which indeed they did)  
  
Elliot yawned and closed his eyes half way in a sleepy manner "So what do you do all day being a Nightmare then?" he asked with a quiet sigh.  
  
"I spend my time scaring people in their dreams" said Jackal with a creepy manner "I'm not very good at it though. like Reala"  
  
"Yeah" laughed Elliot with a smile "A clown like you could never scare anyone"  
  
Jackal laughed his eyebrows frowning, he pointed his finger forward at Elliot's nose and laughed. Elliot laughed and pointed back and they laughed at each other for what seemed like a good thirty seconds until suddenly without warning Jackal rose up sending his seat flying backwards letting out a chill high pitched scream his whole body leaping up into crooked position. Elliot gasped and fell back off his chair panted until the noise stopped. The Nightopians fled in every direction. Jackal sat down cards floating down like feathers everywhere and he slowly twiddled his thumbs "Yes" he sighed, "I'm no way as nearly as good as Reala"  
  
Elliot climbed slowly back onto the chair and slumped his head on the table with a dull thud. He groaned.  
  
"I usually just play cards with them," sighed Jackal "And then I do that"  
  
End 


End file.
